truenamebrand
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2016
- Messages
- 269
Hi, guys. So I recently landed myself in the psych ward for 11 days (plus 1 in ICU). For some background, I've been on benzodiazepines for the better part of the last 14 years. Most recently I was prescribed 4mg of clonazepam a day. I'd had a tendency to binge out on them and therefore never really become thoroughly physically dependent, as I had in the past on both diazepam and lorazepam. However, recently I'd started taking them more responsibly and more or less as prescribed.
So, from 4-6mg of clonazepam a day, my dr in psych initially was giving me 5mg of diazepam twice daily, with 1mg lorazepam twice daily in between. After a couple days he cut out the lorazepam. For the last 3-4 days there I was cut down to 2.5mg diazepam twice daily. During the entire time I was also taking 300mg gabapentin 3x daily.
Inside, my anxiety was consistently pretty high but physical withdrawal was staved off. But upon discharge, since my doctor had gone on vacation, the other doctor objected entirely to sending me home with a benzo script of ANY kind. (Two other patients came in during my stay with similar clonazepam regimens and she, being THEIR doctor, cut them off from the get-go with only large doses of gabapentin and fucking seroquel.)
I managed to obtain four 15mg temazepams in case I really have a rough go of it at first, especially at night. But aside from that, I'm going it with only gabapentin. I do have an appointment with a different psychiatrist -- which I had scheduled months ago -- tomorrow, but because of the circumstances which led to me being involuntarily committed, a benzo script is highly unlikely to come my way ever again, or at least any time soon.
My question is... will gabapentin actually prevent seizures or otherwise keep the benzo withdrawal at bay? Is this even a responsible thing for a doctor to be doing to someone with a 14 year benzo habit? My script is still for 300mg 3x daily as of now, but I took 600 immediately upon filling it. So far I'm okay, but I am fully aware the diazepam metabolites will remain and linger for a few days. My question is not about benzo withdrawal, I've been through it. But rather whether or not the gabapentin is adequate to get me through it.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
So, from 4-6mg of clonazepam a day, my dr in psych initially was giving me 5mg of diazepam twice daily, with 1mg lorazepam twice daily in between. After a couple days he cut out the lorazepam. For the last 3-4 days there I was cut down to 2.5mg diazepam twice daily. During the entire time I was also taking 300mg gabapentin 3x daily.
Inside, my anxiety was consistently pretty high but physical withdrawal was staved off. But upon discharge, since my doctor had gone on vacation, the other doctor objected entirely to sending me home with a benzo script of ANY kind. (Two other patients came in during my stay with similar clonazepam regimens and she, being THEIR doctor, cut them off from the get-go with only large doses of gabapentin and fucking seroquel.)
I managed to obtain four 15mg temazepams in case I really have a rough go of it at first, especially at night. But aside from that, I'm going it with only gabapentin. I do have an appointment with a different psychiatrist -- which I had scheduled months ago -- tomorrow, but because of the circumstances which led to me being involuntarily committed, a benzo script is highly unlikely to come my way ever again, or at least any time soon.
My question is... will gabapentin actually prevent seizures or otherwise keep the benzo withdrawal at bay? Is this even a responsible thing for a doctor to be doing to someone with a 14 year benzo habit? My script is still for 300mg 3x daily as of now, but I took 600 immediately upon filling it. So far I'm okay, but I am fully aware the diazepam metabolites will remain and linger for a few days. My question is not about benzo withdrawal, I've been through it. But rather whether or not the gabapentin is adequate to get me through it.
Any input is greatly appreciated.